BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore midfielder Cíara Forde (Quincy, Mass.) netted a pair of goals and added an assist for a career-high five points to lead the Simmons College women's soccer team in a 7-0 rout over visiting Rivier University this afternoon in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference opener at Daly Field in Brighton, Mass. The Sharks improve to 1-2-1 overall and 1-0-0 in conference play, while the Raiders fall to 0-2-1 and 0-1-0. The match followed the college's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to officially open the Daly Athletics Complex. 

The Simmons offense dominated the contest with a 27-4 shot advantage. The Sharks scored five times in the first half to take a 5-0 lead at the intermission. 

First year forward Rachel Gilbert (Falmouth, Mass.) also notched a pair of goals on the day for the home team and junior forward Kashka Gammon (Nashua, N.H.) finished the afternoon with four points on a goal and two assists. 

Forde's first two goals of the year came within 87 seconds of each other to give the Sharks a 4-0 lead. She lifted a 15-yard shot from the top left corner of the box at the 34:35 mark and just 1:27 later took a cross from Gammon for a 10-yard shot from the right side of the box that found the back of the net. 

Forde assisted on the first goal of the second stanza and the sixth of the day for Simmons. She sent a cross from the corner to sophomore midfielder Lauren Brandau (Madison, Conn.), who converted for her first collegiate goal at 59:28 of the half. 

Gammon opened the scoring for the Sharks less than four minutes into the contest. Junior forward Gabrielle Klane (Franklin, Mass.) sent a cross from the right corner to the center of the box, where Gammon beat the keeper at the 3:51 mark. Gilbert followed with her first collegiate goal at the 33:06 mark to ignite a four-goal outburst over the next five minutes by Simmons. She received the ball in the top left corner and fired a shot inside the far post for her first score. Her second tally was the final goal of the half. Gammon carried the ball to the right side of the box, before crossing to the middle to Gilbert for her second goal of the day at 38:06 for a 5-0 lead. 

Senior midfielder Allison Bondi (Macomb, Mich.) capped the scoring for the Sharks with 12:53 remaining in the match for a 7-0 cushion. Junior back Rachel Wadkins (Winthrop, Mass.) sent a lead center pass that Bondi got behind and carried into the box before depositing the ball into the twine for her second goal of the season. 

Junior Casey Halle (Watertown, Mass.) and sophomore Lauren Williams (Bowdoinham, Maine) combined on Simmons' first shutout of the year. Halle was untested in the first 61:30 of play, while Williams also did not face a shot in the final 28:30 of action.

Senior forward Jackie Russo (Saugus, Mass.) led the Raiders' offense with a pair of shots and junior goalie Lauren Goodspeed (Merrimack, N.H.) stopped 11 shots for the visitors. 

The Sharks return to play on Thursday, September 15 when they head to Norton, Mass. to take on Wheaton College at 4:00 p.m., while Rivier plays again on the same date, hosting Fitchburg State University at 7:00 p.m.